I was watching some of arquebuser’s videos, and I noticed something interesting after taking note of HP / BP gains during model changes:
Base Wing to Valiant Wing netted him a 40 HP bonus and a 10 BP bonus. Valiant Wing to Stripe Wing was +60 HP / +15 BP. Stripe Wing to Panzer Wing was +90 / +23; Panzer Wing to Eye Wing was +135 / +34, and Eye Wing to Arm Wing was +203 / +51.
It seems like the HP gained during a model change is equal to 150% of the HP you gained on the previous model change. For instance, he gained 40 HP on his first model change, 60 HP on his second (150% what he earned from the previous), 90 HP on the third (150% of the previous 60 HP), 135 HP on the fourth (150% of the previous 90 HP gain), and 203 HP on the last (or approximately 150% of the previous 135 HP gained).
I may have just been being silly in my boredom (I’m setting up to try replaying Saga; I got through disk three when my previous computer crashed), and I thought I may have noticed something interesting. Is this accurate, though? Do model changes always give consistent HP / BP gains? And do the Light Wing and Solo Wing models give similar bonuses? If so, that would be pretty amazing, if the pattern holds; +305 / +77 for Light Wing and +458 / +116 for Solo Wing.
Anyway. enough with my rambling.
Edit: I just found some pictures from someone else’s game (not from the videos I had been watching):
It seems that my consistency question has been answered, but does this pattern hold true for the gains from the hidden model changes?
I guess hard core RPG fans could complain that PDS gives your character near GODLIKE strength and abilities towards the end. I’m not one of the complainers. Truth be told, I don’t ever recall dying in this game. Is that a bad thing?
Panzer Dragoon was never about the challenge of completing the game (well, from Zwei onwards anyway). The gameplay of series, to me at least, has always been focused on perfecting the game - either getting all Excellents in PDS or getting 100% shot down ratio in the shooting titles. To be honest, I prefer this approach, although as you say some hardcore gamers probably disagree.
In all fairness, even though PDS is as perfect as games can get, it’s major flaw is having a lot of possible strategy that in the end doesn’t get used since it is not needed. The game could have been a bit more difficult.
Which strategy elements didn’t you use in Saga? Certainly, if you’re just playing through the game, you can get by not using a lot of it. But when it comes to getting excellents, I can’t recall any of the battle system options I didn’t use…
Which strategy elements didn’t you use in Saga? Certainly, if you’re just playing through the game, you can get by not using a lot of it. But when it comes to getting excellents, I can’t recall any of the battle system options I didn’t use…[/quote]
At least there was some reward for thinking, compared to the average RPG’s “strategy” options… check enemy ‘element’; use strongest attack; heal; but whatever you do, don’t think too much or you’ll realize how tedious this all is.
I will say that I hardly ever changed forms, after settling on max attack/agility while being technically in agile mode. The only time I recall needing to change in order to get the Excellent, was to defensive against some of the Anti-Wings, when fighting them in less than Light Wing form of course.
[quote=“Solo Wing Dragon”]
Panzer Dragoon was never about the challenge of completing the game (well, from Zwei onwards anyway). The gameplay of series, to me at least, has always been focused on perfecting the game - either getting all Excellents in PDS or getting 100% shot down ratio in the shooting titles. To be honest, I prefer this approach, although as you say some hardcore gamers probably disagree.[/quote]
That’s pretty spot-on, actually. Even though most people perceive it as such, challenge in a game doesn’t necessarily have to mean you die a lot. It’s a different kind of challenge and one that certainly feels more rewarding in the end, as well as one that feels better-integrated into the overall experience. Definitely one of the things that blew me away about PDS when I first experienced it.
Indeed. Also, you never really had to power level in Panzer Dragoon Saga to make progress. It was nice leveling up and gaining new berserk attacks, etc, but it wasn’t the focus of the game like many RPGs; the focus of the battles was the strategy.
I must admit, I usually stayed in that form most of the time too. This was something that I thought Orta improved on.
Surviving was never a challenge in Saga, true. Alucard von Elru’s comments above basically sum up my thoughts about this.
It wasn’t met as a criticism; I’m quite enjoying it right now. Just started disk three, actually, and I’m on the Tedious Quest of Finding All the Stuff I Forgot To Get in the Black Ruins right now.
Still, it’s quite fun. I agree that the game takes very little strategy to survive, but I really am enjoying trying to get Excellents in every battle. I believe I may have screwed up (I’m not sure if an enemy I fought can still be found in Disk 3), but I like figuring it out.
And I like ridiculously overpowered things, besides. I think that the Blue Dragon mount in Orta is too fragile, if that gives you an idea of how bad I am. :anjou_embarassed:
I didn’t seem to change my dragons form much either now that I think about it. It was nice having the choice though, I loved the whole concept. It gave a personal way of playing, even if a lot of people chose one type of form anyway.
I remember randomly going defensive or otherwise just because I could. It allowed for quicker use of that forms berserks right? And special regen in some cases. Yeah, a really nice system.
